Dirty Water Through Jets ONLY After Cleaning The Pump Basket

[Ntzineff]

I'm having the weird problem with my sand filter. Whenever I clean out the pump basket and air gets into the system after opening up the pump, when I close everything back up and restart the pump, dirty water comes shooting out of the jets after it primes and gets up to pressure. This is the ONLY time it's doing this, not during normal operation. The water then becomes cloudy, but if I run the pump for a couple hours it goes back to to clear.

My sand filter has a real basic push / pull valve and I replaced all the gaskets in that.

Somehow the sand or dirty water in the filter is going to the jets but only after I remove the pump lid and let air into the system.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

When you open the system, water runs backwards through the filter as it drains and that rinses the dirt out of the sand. Likely with the surge when the pump primes this very dirty water is either sneaking by a gasket in the valve or blowing through the sand.

My recommendation would be to backwash before opening the system. You might also want to verify your filter has enough sand and that the valve is in good shape.